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One of the great things about Brent Davies' books is that they combine rigorous research with practical reality. Leading the Strategically Focused School is no exception. Indeed in this text Brent has surpassed himself in drawing on the two decades of research underpinning his concept of Strategic Leadership and then relating it to the current perceptions of school leaders. The result is a book that resonates with common sense but that is disciplined by the insight of someone in command of his field. This is not a book with easy answers, we have too many of those, but one that captures the holism of contemporary leadership, makes you think and leads to informed action' - Professor David Hopkins, HSBC Chair of International Leadership, and formerly Chief Adviser on School Standards to the Secretary of State 2002-2005

'Brent Davies is now established as the pre-eminent scholar on strategic leadership in schools. This book contains a balanced critique of the existing literature and breaks new ground in tackling the critical issue of how strategic leadership can be sustained. As in all his work, he draws widely from the experience of successful practitioners, and this ensures its credibility and instils confidence in those who are embarking on a career in school leadership' - Professor Brian Caldwell, Associate Director-Global, International Networking for Educational Transformation, and Managing Director, Educational Transformations

'Brent Davies tackles the much misunderstood and abused concept of strategy and gets great results. Linking strategy with sustainability, Leading the Strategically Focused School is full of wonderful conceptual tools, and practical case vignettes. This book is both conceptual and practical, and takes all the excuses off the table. An inspiration and invitation to take action for the good of all' - Michael Fullan, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto

'I recommend the book to anyone who is, or who aspires to be, a leader in schools, as it makes an important contribution to the thinking required to achieve cohesive, strategic approaches to the running of schools based upon sound practical experience' - Brian Roberts, Editor, International Journal of Educational Management

'Davies' style is lucid, pithy, well written and wonderfully accessible to busy school leaders, who wish to develop a thoughtful, successful approach to improving their schools' - Management in Education

Strategic leadership is a critical component in the effective development of schools. Leaders need to consider the `now' of school improvement and also how to build strategic capability within the school in order to ensure long-term success and sustainability. Drawing upon research conducted by the National College for School Leadership, the book examines how this can be done.

The book includes chapters on:

o establishing processes for building whole school involvement

o strategic approaches to build capacity in your school

o building and sustaining strategic leadership throughout the school

o characteristics of strategically focused schools

This book is an indispensable read for school leaders who want to focus on bringing sustainable improvement to their school.